❖ What is lifespan development
➢ Phys. development - changes in the body
➢ Cognitive development - learning, attention, memory, language, thinking,
reasoning, creativity
➢ Psychosocial development- emotions, personality, and social relationships
➢ Normative approach:
■ What is “normal”?
■ Biological milestones such as puberty are universal
■ Social milestones such as starting school vary across cultures
❖ Continuous V Discontinuous Development
➢ Continuous development - views development as something that gradually
improves
■ Ex: adding inches to height each year
➢ Discontinuous development - views development as specific times or stages
❖ Is there one course of development or many?
➢ Evidence for one course of development - studies show that children all around
the world reach the language stages at different phases of life.
➢ Evidence for many courses of development - cultural differences in childcare
practices; different practices can speed up or slow down developmental
milestones.
❖ Nature V Nurture
➢ Nature - biology and genetics
➢ Nurture - environment and culture
➢ This debate considers personalities and how they’re either genetic or their
behaviors are adapted from their environment
■ Why are siblings sometimes so different?
■ Are adopted children more like their biological or adopted parents?
■ Is intelligence inherited, is it shaped by our learning experiences or is it a
combination of both?
❖ Theories of Development
➢ Psychosexual theory (Freud)
■ Believed childhood experiences are how children grow up to be adults
■ Viewed development as discontinuous
■ Claimed that children’s pleasure-seeking urges are focused on different
erogenous zones at each 5 stages of development
● Oral
● Anal
● Phallic
● Latency
● Genital
, ➢ Psychosocial Theory (Erikson)
■ Erik Erikson
● Emphasises the social nature of development
● Believed you need external validation to form your ego
● Personality development takes place over time, not in stages
● 8 stages of this theory
1 Trust v 0-1 years Trust that
Mistrust basic needs
will be met
2 Autonomy vs 1-3 years Develop a
shame/doubt sense of
independence
in many tasks
3 Initiative vs 3-6 years Take initiative
Guilt on some
things, may
develop into
guilt when
unsuccessful
or boundaries
overstepped.
4 Industry v 7-11 years Develop
Inferiority self-confidenc
e in abilities
when
competent or
sense of
inferiority
when not
5 Identity vs 12-18 years Experiment
Confusion with and
develop
identity and
roles
6 Intimacy vs 19-29 years Establish
Isolation intimacy and
relationships
with others
7 Generativity 30-64 years Contribute to
vs Stagnation society and be
➢ Phys. development - changes in the body
➢ Cognitive development - learning, attention, memory, language, thinking,
reasoning, creativity
➢ Psychosocial development- emotions, personality, and social relationships
➢ Normative approach:
■ What is “normal”?
■ Biological milestones such as puberty are universal
■ Social milestones such as starting school vary across cultures
❖ Continuous V Discontinuous Development
➢ Continuous development - views development as something that gradually
improves
■ Ex: adding inches to height each year
➢ Discontinuous development - views development as specific times or stages
❖ Is there one course of development or many?
➢ Evidence for one course of development - studies show that children all around
the world reach the language stages at different phases of life.
➢ Evidence for many courses of development - cultural differences in childcare
practices; different practices can speed up or slow down developmental
milestones.
❖ Nature V Nurture
➢ Nature - biology and genetics
➢ Nurture - environment and culture
➢ This debate considers personalities and how they’re either genetic or their
behaviors are adapted from their environment
■ Why are siblings sometimes so different?
■ Are adopted children more like their biological or adopted parents?
■ Is intelligence inherited, is it shaped by our learning experiences or is it a
combination of both?
❖ Theories of Development
➢ Psychosexual theory (Freud)
■ Believed childhood experiences are how children grow up to be adults
■ Viewed development as discontinuous
■ Claimed that children’s pleasure-seeking urges are focused on different
erogenous zones at each 5 stages of development
● Oral
● Anal
● Phallic
● Latency
● Genital
, ➢ Psychosocial Theory (Erikson)
■ Erik Erikson
● Emphasises the social nature of development
● Believed you need external validation to form your ego
● Personality development takes place over time, not in stages
● 8 stages of this theory
1 Trust v 0-1 years Trust that
Mistrust basic needs
will be met
2 Autonomy vs 1-3 years Develop a
shame/doubt sense of
independence
in many tasks
3 Initiative vs 3-6 years Take initiative
Guilt on some
things, may
develop into
guilt when
unsuccessful
or boundaries
overstepped.
4 Industry v 7-11 years Develop
Inferiority self-confidenc
e in abilities
when
competent or
sense of
inferiority
when not
5 Identity vs 12-18 years Experiment
Confusion with and
develop
identity and
roles
6 Intimacy vs 19-29 years Establish
Isolation intimacy and
relationships
with others
7 Generativity 30-64 years Contribute to
vs Stagnation society and be
